Top 100 Influencers in Social Media

90. Michael Birch- Internet entrepreneur-turned-investor, Birch’s career took off when he founded Bebo, a popular social networking. Prior to the Facebook boom, Birch sold Bebo to AOL for a reported $850M and has subsequently founded a few quirky startups (such as Birthday Alarm) and invested in the space heavily.

89. Scott Monty- Ford’s frontman for social media helps guide the car manufacturer through the the digital maze. Working within Ford’s corporate communications group, Monty works closely with marketing as well to ensure communications alignment. He and Ford were among the first trailblazers to embrace Web 2.0 and has targeted those in the digital space with an ancillary interest in cars to promote the brand. In 2009, Monty and crew gave the then-new Ford Fusion to 100 social influencers in the United States to test the car, generate buzz and disperse content across various digital platforms.

88. Chris Mortensen- Yes, that Chris Mortensen. The award-winning ESPN Senior NFL analyst has a devoted Twitter following of over half a million for some very good reasons. On @mortreport, he dishes on the latest NFL news and updates while sharing snippets of what life is like for a guy with a VIP pass on NFL sidelines. For sports fans, he’s a must follow.

87. James Currier- Chudnovsky’s partner-in-crime at Ooga Labs is co-founder Currier, who originally founded Tickle Inc. and successfully sold it to Monster. Currier was an early proponent of user-generated media and viral marketing and can be found giving keynotes when not at home in Palo Alto. Among his fondest memories, he cites building a genuine hovercraft at age 15… a good start for a budding innovator turned entrepreneur.

86. Stan Chudnovsky- A Russian native, Chudnovsky made a name for himself in Silicon Valley as CEO of the social networking media company Tickle Inc. He is the co-founder of Ooga Labs, a tech incubator for consumer web companies.

85. Leo Laporte- If you want to understand the inner-workings of all things digital, Laporte is your guy. Nationally syndicated radio talk show host and noted blogger, he is a tech journalist who has worked his craft for decades. He also lives and breathes his beat, understanding computer programming where other reporters fall far short. He actively embraces new technologies in the social sector and can be found on Google+, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube… not bad for an old guy.

84. Lisa Barone- Founding Outspoken Media, Inc, Barone is the self-dubbed Chief Branding Officer of the company and dishes up her candid observations to brands willing to listen. Never mincing her words, she calls it as she sees it and has garnered a considerable Twitter following accordingly. A former journalist student, she makes the conference circuit rounds liveblogging and frequently contributes to publications such as Search Engine Land.

83. Brian Krebs- If Eliot Ness were reincarnated today as an investigative, it might be in the form of journalist Brian Krebs. A self-taught computer programmer, Krebs covers Internet security as much out of a self-admitted obsession as out of the need for a paycheck. He has made it his career to get inside the heads of some of the world’s biggest, bad-est and even clueless hackers to investigate the seedy underbelly of our beloved Internet. On his blog, he also updates the latest software threats and warnings. We don’t always like thinking of a new-age apocalypse caused by botnets and worms, but Krebs brings us back to Earth with his stealthy reporting and digestible tactics.

82. Sam Fiorella- Blogger, speaker and moderator of the ever-popular #BizForum Twitter chat, Fiorella is a jet-setting interactive marketing specialist. From retail and travel to finance and insurance, this Canadian leverages his 2 decades of experience in the corporate sector as Chief Strategy Sensei (yes, you read that correctly) for Sensei Marketing which preaches strong customer interaction for sustainable biz development.

81. Liz Heron- Social Media Editor of the New York Times is no small beans, and Heron proves her worth as a journalist’s journalist. Her genuine, no-frills and no-gimmicks, attitude has won her the affection of many seeking the latest NY Times news.